Only Human
by Delia Ra'Nar
Summary: When faced with a series of bombings that have taken place around the world, the regular members of the League call upon the Dark Knight to solve the case. But being… only human, will Bruce be able to keep up and pull through? !LAST CH UP! Complete
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been working on this story off and on for an embarrassingly long time. I am so relived to finally begin posting it. This takes place during/in-between the very first few episodes of the Justice League.

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Only Human

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Chapter One

The Batman sighed softly as he pulled back his cowl. It had been a long, tiring night, but now he was safely secluded in the cool, dark, underground expanse he called home. For a moment he just stood there, allowing the damp air of the cave to caress his exposed features. He would move on with his work in just a few…

"Master Bruce?" the cultured British tones floated elegantly down from the stair that spiraled upwards towards the ceiling of the cave and the far-removed surface. Bruce held his silence a few more seconds.

"I'm here, Alfred." he finally responded, just as the butler was about to call again.

"I trust you had a pleasant night, sir?" asked the butler, somewhat exasperated.

"Peasant enough." responded Bruce, choosing to ignore any and all sarcasm present in the question. "Any messages?"

"Well sir, there _was_ a transmission from the Watch Tower, but I did not contact you on patrol as it was not marked 'urgent'."

"That's fine, Alfred." Bruce said to ally any concern that the butler may have been harboring. In reality the older man had only been following Bruce's instructions; but that had never stopped the older man from worrying before. It had already been a couple of months since the end product of the billion or so dollars that the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne slipped into Wayne Enterprises Aerospace R&D budget had opened. The said money had gone into building the earth's largest, and most advanced space station, one known only as the Watch Tower.

In this lunar observatory the seven heroes, collectively known as the Justice League, could watch for developing threats both from the planet itself and from the greater expanse of space. Only two of the seven knew that Bruce Wayne was in any way responsible for the Tower's construction; Superman, for he had been in Bruce's confidence for years, and the Batman, who happened to be the billionaire himself.

Since its activation, scant months before, the Bat had received many alerts concerning nefarious and disastrous happenings around the world. Most of which he never bothered to respond to. Could not take the time to respond to.

Unlike the others in the select group, the Batman was no superhero; in fact, some would argue that he was no hero at all – but that was quite beside the point. Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, J'onn J'onzz, Hawkgirl, even Green Lantern every other member of the League had some form of special power. An edge. In Superman's case, several. They could travel around the world -several times- completely on their own power, even patrol entire countries if they wanted. Not the Batman. Any edge he held had to be painstakingly sharpened and maintained day by day, and even after years of struggling he had yet to drag his single, solitary city out of the corruption and darkness in which it was mired. He was… only human.

After the fifth time his patrol had been interrupted by -what he deemed- a pointless Watch Tower update he had angrily demanded that Alfred only contact him if the message was of _dire_ importance. He would, of course, view all the correspondences upon his return to the cave, but otherwise refused to be bothered by them. As for the butler, Alfred knew Bruce well enough not to take offence at his unkind tone. The younger man always had a short fuse when dealing with anything that threatened to take unnecessary time away from **his** city.

So now Bruce found himself stationed in front of the main console of the cave's super computer when he could have been sleeping. Still, it was better than interrupting his patrol. The League's message consisted of a multitude of sensor readings as well as several articles and pictures. A rash of terrorist and /or arsonist bombings had recently swept the globe. Although they could find no definite connection between the seemingly random crimes, aside from the fact that no demands or statements were issued, the rest of the Justice League was positive that they were connected. And when the six of them came up with nothing they sent the information to the Bat. Bruce had several cases at the moment and would have been very tempted to put this one off, had it not been for the fact that one of the said attacks had taken place in Gotham. That made it personal.

Several hours later a noticeably more pressed and refreshed butler made his way down to the cave, duster in hand. Reaching the bottom he received a rather unpleasant surprise in the form of one shadow-shrouded individual firmly stationed in front of the bat-computer.

"Master Bruce!" the older man exclaimed, reproach clearly evident in his voice, "I thought you had retired hours ago."

"Alfred." Bruce said, whipping his chair around. "Contact the League. I've found the pattern."

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A/N: I know it's a rather short chapter but please review. More coming shortly. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey, sorry about the wait, but stuff actually happens in this chapter so it wasn't for nothing! Oh, yes, I also realized that I forgot to say that I own no characters, places, names, or anything else related to Justice League, Batman, or DC in general (besides some comics and action figures) so I now make my standard diclaimer and humbly ask that no one sue me for my use of these fine super- people.

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Only Human

Chapter2

Less than a half hour later Flash, Green Lantern, and Superman watched Javelin Seven, the space-faring vessel that was currently carrying J'onn J'onzz and Diana, descend. It had transported both the Martian and the Amazon princess from the orbiting Watch Tower. The winged heroess known as Hawkgirl had also been on the station but had recently returned from her own mission and so volunteered to remain behind, consequently freeing herself to catch up on some sleep.

The two traveling companions emerged as soon as the ship touched down and the five found themselves left waiting on their most mysterious comrade, the one who had instructed them all to meet here in the first place.

"We don't have much time," came a sudden, rasping voice. Almost as one the brightly garbed members jumped perceptibly as they realized that the black cloaked figure of the Bat had somehow appeared unmarked in their midst. "I've followed the pattern to this location and roughly around this hour," continued the Batman, unperturbed by their reaction. "The next bombing should take place in that building," he said gesturing towards the small privately owned research lab in the center of the same sizable clearing they now hugged the edge of. "There are a minimal of twenty five workers. You five clear them out. I will handle the bomb."

The Justice League sprang into action. Not one even bothered to question the Batman's plan any more than they would question the Flash's ability to beat a snail in a foot race. One thing you did not question, if at _all _possible, was the Bat. Especially when there were lives at stake.

As it turned out, there where thirty seven doctors and lab assistants present that day, not to mention several cages of animals. Almost half where transported out before Batman was able to locate the explosive device. It was not good. Batman had dealt with this kind of device before. Motion detectors and heat sensors were the least of its protection against disarmament. His best time for defusing one was forty three seconds. The timer read thirty.

"Flash. Tell the others to pick up the pace." he growled as the scarlet speedster sprinted by.

"Your wish is my command, O cowled one!" threw back the Flash, pausing long enough to toss a mock bow in the Batman's direction before accelerating into a blur once more.

'_That kid really gets on my nerves,'_ thought the Bat irritably before turning his mind back to the seemingly hopeless task of defusing the complicated mechanism in less then thirty seconds. By the time the timer reached thirteen all the civilians had been evacuated and the Batman knew that there was no way the bomb could be deactivated in the time remaining.

"Get out! Everyone get out of the building _now_!" Batman rarely ever raised his voice -he didn't have to- but when he did he was obeyed without question.

The Flash was outside before anyone could blink. Superman, Wonder Woman, and J'onn were flying right behind him with Green Lantern levitating via the power of his ring and Batman brought up the rear as they raced toward the open field and the relative safety of the trees beyond. As soon as they were clear of the building the four flying members speed up and veered higher into the sky to escape the coming detonation. The Batman had a grapple in hand, but belatedly realized that in the flat, building-less clearing he would be unable to anchor and swing himself safely away as he normally did. No matter. He had been keeping a running count down in his head and he still had ten seconds to make it to the tree line. Plenty of time.

Eight.

Seven.

Si-

A deafening explosion assaulted the Dark Knight's pointed ears. A wave of heat struck his back, whirled his cape around him, lifted him off the ground, and threw him several feet into the air. He lost conscious ness as he hit the dirt.

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A/N: I will leave you to mull over this recent and troubling event, though I will do my absolute best to post the next chapter tomorrow. Ah, yes, and Please Review, I guarantee it will make my day! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Here it is guys, next part. Sorry it took so long. Read and Review and (hopefully) Enjoy!

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Only Human

Chapter 3

Flash had been congratulating himself for his superior show of speed for the almost immodest length of one point five eight seconds. Not wanting to become too conceited he then turned his lighting thoughts to making a silent bet with himself on just who would be placing 'second' in the little fantasy race he was creating for himself. His musings on whether Superman or Wonder Woman would prove faster were ruthlessly interrupted when a brilliant blossom of fire spewed across his sights. The three lead superheroes were buffeted around by the distressed air currents, and were forced to land rather less gracefully than usual. GL hadn't gained enough altitude when the building exploding and he was forced roughly to the ground. It all happened so suddenly and so fast -two point six seconds- that for the first time in years the Speedster had no time to react, even if there had been anything left to do. _'All the civilians where evacuated'_ he reminded himself _'No one else needed to be saved.'_ In all the turmoil Flash had lost sight of the Batman, but that wasn't at all unusual. In fact the Flash had to suppress a sudden urge to look over his shoulder. The Bat had this amazing ability to appear wherever he was least expected.

Superman desperately blinked his eyes, trying to get rid of the explosions' afterimage as quickly as possible. As the self appointed and rather unofficial leader/caretaker of the group as a whole -not to mention the honest, hard won habit of the superhero- his first action was to reflexively confirm the well-being of all others in the area. The civilians were still all safe behind the line of trees and the solid, protective bulk of the Javelin. They would all need to be transported home, but that could wait. Diana was to his left and her Amazon disposition seemed to have been enough to prevent any real injury. J'honn was stirring beside her and the Flash made his condition clear by zipping up on Superman's other side. _'Where are the others?'_ A bit of green caught his eye and the man of steel blurred to the side of the groaning Green Lantern. The shock of the detonation _had_ knocked him out of the air and stunned him, but the energy barrier that formed around him whenever the ring was in use appeared to have been enough to ward off most of the damage, though Superman would make sure he was checked out when they got back to the Tower.

"John, are you all right?" Superman asked as he carefully helped John Stewart, aka the Green Lantern, to sit up.

"Oh, man. I have a splitting headache, but I'll be okay," responded the man in question. He carefully cradled his head as he gazed back toward the chard remains of the lab. "What in God's name were they working on in there?"

"I'm not sure," responded the man in blue, "But we'll find out as soon as- J'honn? What's wrong?" The Martian hadn't moved from where he had risen. He almost looked… shocked.

"The Batman. He is- injured."

"What?!" exclaimed Diana, accurately voicing the sentiments of the group. Like the others, she knew that the Batman was without powers. At least- that was the impression she had gathered from the other's more subdued conversations. But she had almost dismissed the knowledge out of hand. There was no way that an ungifted male could keep up with the princess of the Amazons, was there?

'_No!'_ Superman cried silently, hoping that J'honn had made a mistake even as he frantically x-rayed the fallen structure. There _was_ definately a human form under some of the debris, but he was getting interference from some of the building materials. "Over here," he instructed beginning to shift the loose materials on top of the small pile. Between the super-powered members of the group the black shrouded form was quickly unearthed.

He was laying face down and the cloak wrapped around him was ripped and burned with several glaring cuts and abrasions showing through it. Superman could just make out his labored breathing and the hesitant beating of his heart. J'honn quickly stepped forward to more closely assess the downed man's condition.

"We must get him to the infirmary aboard the Watch Tower."

"Of course," agreed the Man of Steel automatically, then questioned more authoritatively: "Lantern, can you move him?"

"I can try. Just need to keep my concentration," responded the ring bearing hero, frowning through the headache and causing a green field of energy to carefully secure and scoop up the injured knight.

"Lantern and J'honn, get him back to the tower as quickly as possible. We'll clean up here, either one of you or Hawkgirl can send a Javelin for us later."

"Roger that Superman," replied Green Lantern as he, J'honn, and the immobile Batman disappeared into the rear hatchway of the interstellar vehicle.

"Let's get these people taken care of. Fast."

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A/N- thanks to Batzi, Valandil, jc, RedSoxGirl5, and korovan for reviewing last chapter. Fanfiction isn't sending the reviews to my mail at the moment, but I'll write more specific thanks as soon as I am able. Reviews are always appreciated guys! Next chapter in a day or so, till then! 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow this took a lot longer to post then I thought. I blame it all on costumes and tests. Anyway, here it is, enjoy guys!

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Only Human

Chapter 4

Later, aboard the orbiting Watch Tower, six of the most powerful beings on -or orbiting- the earth stood helpless at the bedside of one of their own number. J'honn had finally stabilized the Batman after two tenuous hours of battling for the vigilante's life. The cloak and armor kept at bay all but the worst of the burns, but some of the speeding debris had punctured the suit and the sheer crushing weight had caused multiple internal injuries. This day marked the first incident of serious wounds within the League. It was a somber awakening. They _could_ be hurt.

"Superman," J'honn said carefully interrupting the hero's thoughts, "if there is anyone who needs contacting… I believe he would wish you to take care of it."

"Right, of course," Superman said, quietly excusing himself from the group. He was, after all, the only one that knew Bruce's secret identity. He would need to be the one to tell Alfred what happened, urge him not to give up hope,… and explain to him why he could not see his employer and son in everything but name. This was not a conversation he was looking forward to.

ONLYONLYONLYONLY

"Wayne Manor."

"Mister Pennyworth?"

"Speaking."

"Clark Kent of the Daily Planet, Bruce may have spoken of me."

"Ah, yes. You and he have spent some rather late nights tearing up the town. As it were." Wry amusement was clear in the older man's tone.

"The same, I'm afraid." He couldn't believe that it would be up to him to shatter the butler's mood with the worst, well, second worst news that could ever be given.

"Well sir, if you are calling for Master Bruce, I'm afraid that he has not yet returned from his previous emgagem-" Clark could not stand it any more, he had to interrupt:

"Mister Pennyworth… Alfred. Bruce is why I'm calling. I'm afraid that he's been-"

"Oh my lord…" It was evident that Bruce's one time guardian had jumped to the worst possible conclusion

"No! Alfred, he's okay, he's not de- well, he's stable."

"Will he be returning to Gotham for his treatment?"

"Our… resident physician thought that it would be best if he remained where he is. For the time being."

"Of course. Very sensible I'm sure. Will it be possible for him to receive visitors?"

"Well, yes. But I'm not sure that would be the wisest course. Questions would be raised, at least among the League and I… I don't think that that would be…what Bruce would want." _'Damn Bruce and his secrecy,'_ he thought fiercely, conveniently forgetting that if something ever happened to him, Bruce could very well be faced with the same situation.

"I… have no doubt that you are once again correct. Silly of me to think…"

"I'll send regular updates on his condition to the downstairs computer," assured Clark trying to imbue the sterile words with as much compassion as he could.

"Thank you sir."

"Well, I- Goodbye Alfred."

"Goodbye, sir."

Clark heard the faint click of the line disconnecting, then silence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

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A/N: And _I'm_ sorry that the chapter is so short, but please review anyway! I think I got replies to all you guys who reviewed the last couple of chapters, well except those of you who didn't leave a reply address. So I'll just take this space to say thanks to Valandil, Manuel, Saibachick, and Batzi for reviewing last chapter. Till next time- Delia Ra'Nar 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I was originally going to divide this chapter into two, but that made it pitifully short (And since I've been appallingly slow at posting) I'm doing them at once. Anyway: read, relax, and review guys!

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Only Human

Chapter 5

J'onn had kicked them all out of the infirmary over half an hour ago so that he might be alone to tend his masked patient. For someone who operated at super speed a half hour could be an eternity. The Flash's hyperactive mind stubbornly refused to process the information. Bats… Part of him still wanted to believe that it was some sort of trick cooked up by the vigilante to smoke out the bad guys or something. J'honn could be in on it. Heck the two of them had even pulled a stunt like this before during the League's first collaboration.

But this time was different. He knew it was.

The worst part… the worst of _all_ of this was that it was_ he_, out of all the heroes, who would have had the best –the only- chance of preventing this from happening. He was the fastest man alive, but that meant less than nothing if he just _stood_ there. And yet, what warning had he had. The Batman's scorn of any who tried to give him unsolicited help was notorious among the other members of the League and the superhero community at large. Flash had once witnessed him chew out _Superman_ for helping him. Yet the Bat had proved time and time again that he could keep up without the help. Keep up. Ha. Bats was usually two steps ahead. Heck, it was Bats who got the Tower put up in the first place -though Flash was still working on just how he'd managed that. _'After all the Batman had done_,_'_ reflected Flash, _'the villains, super-villains, world threats, not to mention serving and surviving as the sole protector of Gotham City_,_'_ the speedster had to suppress a shudder at the images the name conjured, _'it was all to easy to forget that under all his armor and Kevlar the Bat really was… only human.'_

1...1

Diana and Hawkgirl sat silently across from each other in one of the station's lounges, staring at the untouched glasses in front of them. Being the only two women in the Justice League they had quickly developed a strong friendship, one aided by the common ground of coming from warrior societies. Hawkgirl was adapting to the situation marginally better than Diana. For all the Amazons were legendary warriors, it had been centuries since they had to deal with the death of one of their own. And yet each had privately decided that if the Batman's time had come, then they would treat him as a fallen warrior, and with a hero's farewell. Then they would find some way to avenge his death. Yet surely he would pull through. He was one of the most devious men either had ever known. He had an almost superhuman ability that seemed to supply him with a flawless plan for every contingency- except this one. So they sat in silence. What was there to say? It seemed the Batman was… only human, after all.

1...1

Clark Kent had enough of all the wallowing. His fiancée, Lois Lane hated wallowers. He was quickly finding himself in agreement. The League had been greatly unsettled by the Batman's injury and continued instability. That was natural and only right, but the pall that had fallen upon the group was disturbing and frankly a bit disproportionate. It seemed that whenever the heroes were not forced into responding to an immediate emergency they simply floated-some literally-around the tower. It was if, once bereft of the Bat's driving and forbidding presence, all planning went by the wayside. Darn it, Bruce wasn't the only one with detective skills; Clark's profession wasn't called _investigative_ journalism just because it sounded better.

The Man of Steel wasn't unaffected by the Batman's precarious predicament, far from it- he was probably closer to the reclusive hero than just about anyone else on earth. That didn't change the fact that he could do nothing for Bruce now. J'onn was keeping an eye out for him, of course, but it was really up to the human to pull himself through. And he would. Clark knew he would. Besides, Bruce would be the first one to criticize the way the league was taking this development, and he wouldn't bother being kind about it either. It was past time to get down to business.

As he had been mulling over that days events Clark suddenly recalled Green Lantern wondering aloud what the chemistry lab could have been working on to make the explosion so incredibly intense. After a few hours of digging it turned out that they were conducting questionable research into weapons grade explosives, technology, and refinement. Not exactly above board, one might add. He used several search patterns in an attempt to discover just who owned the research station. No dice. Even with his experience and all the advanced technology at his disposal he was continually running up against a brick wall. Maybe it was time to try a different approach. When Bruce called, demanding that the Justice League meet him at that specific location, Clark had naturally assumed that it had been about the latest case the League had sent to Gotham. Bruce had never specifically confirmed the hunch, but he hadn't said otherwise either. And there _had_ been a bomb. In this instance Clark decided that he would go with his gut and assume that the Batman figured out the time and location of this bomb by finding some sort of correlation between the others around the world. The question was: could Clark find it as well? Honestly, he wasn't sure. He hadn't been able to find one before, but Bruce had done it, and he was going to go crazy if he didn't find something with which to occupy himself. Soon. Wait! If Bruce had figured it out, then his files would have to have been saved somewhere in the mainframe-the Batman was very meticulous about evidence- all he had to do was find it and decrypt it. Could it really be that easy?

Several hours later the Man of Steel was forced to admit defeat. There was absolutely no way that he was going to be able to break all of the Batman's codes-how did he manage to come up with so many anyway?-and, naturally, all the hundreds of decryption codes written into the tower's database were no help whatsoever. Bruce would never just _give_ someone the means to read his private files. There would be no easy way to do this, he'd just have to try and piece together any clues he could find from the different sights that Bruce had visited- that is, if he hadn't taken the time to completely wipe out his computer's history before calling the League. Otherwise they'd just have to wait, and hope, for his recovery to be as fast as humanly possible.

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A/N: I know I haven't gotten review responses out yet, but I'm having something of a Costume Crisis right now; I'll write them as soon as I can. Till then, my thanks to LarSinger, Lynn, EstelKid, Anonymousfog, Batzi, Knottaclue, RedSoxGirl5, and Valandil for reviewing last chapter! You guys really make my day.- Delia Ra'Nar 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: well the Costume Crisis is over (I'm sure you are all relived) I hope all you guys had an awesome Halloween and have bunches of candy to snack on as you read and relax! (just be sure not to get any on the keyboard! ;)

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Only Human

Chapter 6

J'onn J'ones was yanked out of his relaxed state of slumber by the strong and unmistakable jolt of human pain emanating from the next room. Almost instinctively he sent his consciousness out in a quick telepathic sweep of the area. He already had a good idea of what had transpired, and he was far from pleased. Forgoing the series of doors, the Martian opted to simply phase through the separating wall and appear hovering next to the bed of the room's sole occupant.

"What is it, J'onn." demanded the rasping voice without turning to regard the Martian. If anything it seemed even harsher than usual, the shape-shifter couldn't decide if that was due to him not having voluntarily ingested any form of liquid in the last few days, or a result of the waves of pain the man was desperately trying to suppress. Probably both.

"You are in no condition to be attempting to leave." Finally the cowled head turned to glare at him, somehow managing to look menacing even when placed atop a bandaged torso.

"I'm fine." J'onn did not consider accepting that for as much as a single earth second. Even if he had not still been able to feel buried remnants of the intense pain that had woken him, the fact was that the Batman had been devastatingly injured and still fighting for his survival for several days. He'd only begun to show marked improvement two days ago. Perhaps the accelerated metabolism of the Flash could heal that quickly, but the Martian was disinclined to believe it was within the Batman's comparatively limited abilities. In fact, according to everything that J'honn had learned about the normal human physiology, his patient should not be conscious, regardless of the Leagues' advanced technology.

As the Martian showed no sign of responding to his curt answer, Bruce carefully levered himself off the bed and begin making his slow way toward the room's door. His brain was decidedly clouded, but he still knew that this was not the most logical action for him to take. He was well aware of all the signals his body was sending him. He was just choosing to ignore them. He needed to get out of here, back to Gotham. He wouldn't be able to do anything for his city for several weeks, true, but he felt that he could not stay here. Here. Here there were six heroes with whom he had to work. Whom he had to trust. Who had to trust _him_. Showing excessive amounts of vulnerability and suffering was not the way to become trusted. The only people that the Batman was less inclined to show weakness to than his enemies… were his allies. Enemies' lives didn't depend on their faith and trust in one's abilities.

He had to get to Gotham, to the Cave and to Alfred, where he could heal in the peace and safety of his own realm. He had to get to Gotham. He got halfway to the door. It seemed that he could ignore the warning signals, but the ability to shut them out didn't matter once his body stopped transmitting. His last impression was of green arms reaching out to stop his fall.

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A/N: sigh yes, I know it's short again. Still, we must keep the suspense, mustn't we? Anyway Please drop a review! Special thanks to all who reviewed last chapter, thevigilante15, Batzi, Lynn, Valandil, LarSinger, EvilHamsterMastermind, Manuel, and RedSoxGirl5. Later guys- Delia Ra'Nar 


	7. Chapter 7

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Only Human

Chapter 7

Clark Kent had responded to J'onn's summons as quickly as he could, but even Superman takes more than a few seconds to get from the Daily Planet building in Metropolis to the JL Watch Tower orbiting the earth.

"How is he?" asked the Kryptonian as soon as he entered the infirmary.

"I thought it best if he remained unconscious, I would not wish to risk further injury when I attempted to restrain him."

"But Bru-Batman, was he able to say anything? About what happened, about his research?" inquired the Man of Steel, trying to submerge his concern for his friend and colleague. J'honn would have said if Bruce was in immediate danger, and Bruce himself would have insisted that duty to the team came first.

"He said very little. It seemed his first concern was leaving the infirmary." Superman winced slightly at the familiar traces of sarcasm in his tone. That was the Batman- far too stubborn for his own good.

"I think I'll be able to talk some sense into him. And even if I can't-between the two of us-he's not going anywhere," Superman stated as he walked over to his friend's bedside. The Martian looked curiously dubious for a few seconds before joining the Man of Steel. He silently manipulated the controls to the bio-bed. It clearly made sense to him, though Clark was rather lost. J'onn put in a final sequence and was peering searching the screen for signs of a response when a large hand suddenly encased his green wrist.

"Don't _ever_ do that again." ground out the Batman. The man had clearly been aware of the Martian's efforts to keep him sedated. J'onn had to wonder if Batman was also aware that the Martian had been supplementing the light mantra of sedatives with a slight mental suggestion to sleep. Just enough to keep him there until superman could arrive of course. Due to the extra measure of cold venomence in his tone J'onn believed he was.

"Batman, J'onn was simply doing what he believed was in your best interests," defended Superman in his signature, vaguely lecturing, superhero-type way. The Batman grunted in a dismissing manner but did release the Martian's wrist.

"The Lab?" There was no need to elaborate. All present knew just what was foremost in the Knight's mind.

"No civilians were injured and all League members are recovered, other than yourself. Since then there has been one other bombing that we suspect had the same source," replied Superman dutifully. He could have sworn that his super-hearing picked up some choice words in several languages- but than again, he could have been mistaken. Could have.

"I'll need to organize my evidence if we hope to prosecute, as well as figure out where the next bombing is going to take place just in case we run out of time." muttered the Bat to the two other occupants as he attempted to pull himself upward.

"Hold it right there," demanded Superman, placing one hand firmly on the man's chest, "You're not going anywhere." He paused. "For a few more days at least," he amended.

"Get out of my way, Boy Scout." growled the Bat. When that failed to yield the desired result he deliberately exerted enough upward pressure on the restraining hand to cause his own ribs to protest. Perhaps it did not seem the wisest move, but his clouded mind was not going to allow anyone in the group to dictate behavior to him- _especially_ when he was injured. Predictably Clark withdrew his hand to avoid causing any more damage. Carefully he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and, as before, sharp pain raced through his chest. _This_ time, however, he was ready for it. He was able to suppress any outward reaction, but his mind did silently cry out under the assault. He distractedly noted that the Martian flinched at the same time. His mind vaguely wondered if it had anything to do with the race's telepathic abilities. Regardless, it was something he would have to mull over at a later time. Right now he had much more important things to attend to. Like how he was going to get out of the infirmary without aid or any overt signs of weakness. Clark would make the task much more difficult. The Kyptonian knew him all too well and would be quick to catch any unusual mannerisms that the others would miss.

"Batman," Clark's concerned voice broke into Bruce's labored thoughts, "Listen to me. You need to rest." Imagined condescendence in his tone made the flat white lenses on the Bat's cowl to narrow in frustration and anger.

"I'm _fine_." he ground out, once more throwing as much ice as he could into his voice. Unfortunately the Kryptonian had a super-human resistance to extreme temperatures.

"You know you're not," he responded firmly, going into what Bruce recognized as his 'leader' mode, "and if I had been affected by kryptonite, you would be saying the same thing to me."

'_And so would you,'_ Bruce retorted silently. Still, Clark did have a point, he was not fine. It was doubtful he would be able to make it back to Gotham. Without the Batwing's advanced auto pilot he would have to bring the vessel in manually. In his present state he would be risking harm to his city by an attempted landing. That he would not do. Besides Clark was not going to let him leave without some kind of struggle. The Batman was confident that he would be able take down the Boy Scout for a short time, if circumstances ever forced him to, but there were some weapons in his arsenal that he would rather did not become public knowledge. Slowly, carefully he allowed the exhaustion and pain he had blocked off to seep in, giving his compliance an air of reality.

"Fine," he bit out, very real annoyance clearly evident in his voice. "But without this." he pulled out the IV that had carefully been inserted into his arm. The last thing he wanted was the Boy Scout trying to be clever and keep him sedated. Unlikely given Clarks unbending morality, but he needed to show some sign of obstinacy if he was going to convince the Kryptonian that he was going to be a good little bat and stay in the infirmary. Superman's eyes narrowed slightly, then relaxed. He'd taken the bait.

"Okay, I'll try to stick around the tower," the Man of Steel said, then paused "Look, Batman, I am glad that you're getting better, we were all worried." Sensing more that seeing the Bat's uncomfortable shift, he departed on a more business-like note, "When J'onn says you're up to it, we could still really use your help with those bombings. I've been trying to get into your files for days with no success." Bruce unconsciously smirked as the door swished shut behind the caped figure. Clark was good at his job, but he defiately needed to be brought down a peg or to if he had thought he ever had a _chance_ of breaking into the Batman's database. Suddenly an almost imperceptible frown creased his masked brow- the bombings. That would be his second order of business, after he escaped, which he would do as soon as J'onn left. Quietly he escaped from the mounting pain battering at his consciousness by slipping into a not quite sleep where he was still vaguely aware of his surroundings, yet gave all the indications of the deepest sleep. Patience was what was important right now. He could be patient.

1…1

J'onn shot one more speculative glance at the still figure breathing calmly and regularly in the only occupied bed. The Batman had been quiet since Superman's departure and the Martian was temped to believe that the stubborn vigilante had actual listened to reason. Still that question was soon to become academic; J'honn had watch duty in a few minutes, and he had already asked Hawkgirl to fill in for him the last few days. The Batman was out of any immediate danger and it simply did not feel right to impose any further upon the other permanent residents of the Tower. Besides, the computer would alert him of any changes in his patent's condition. With a last mental confirmation that Batman was indeed unconscious, the Martian left the room.

Seconds after the door closed a black gloved hand drifted upward, seemingly of its own accord. Leisurely it wandered over a panel above the otherwise prone figure's head. Every once in a while it depressed one of the buttons it came across. Finally a computerized voiced announced:

"Program 'B-45MED' initiated." Only then did the Batman carefully come to full consciousness. Never being one to be caught unprepared, Bruce had constructed a rather ingenious program that would loop the bio readings of any individual through the Tower's systems, leading whoever was monitoring the individual to believe that they were still abed, when in reality they could be anywhere on earth. Or beyond for that matter. The real trick had been to activate the program without alerting J'honn. To do this the Batman had embedded the sequence that would need to be entered into the computer in his subconscious so that, according to his vitals, he would still be asleep. The entire setup may seem excessive and unlikely to some, but planning for every contingency was what had kept him alive.

He hauled himself upright and stood, albeit unsteadily, for the first time in several days. After taking a moment to gather himself he located the top portion of his uniform and pulled it with excruciating care over his bandaged chest. The door swished open once more and the shadowed, cloaked figure of the Bat slid into the corridor.

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A/N: Well, there it is guys. This was a fun chapter to write as far as charictors go, tell me how you think I did, all right? Anyway I sent review replies to all of you who left an address (but I _really_ appreciate the rest of you as well), so thanks to Lynn, Knottaclue, Valandil, RedSoxGirl5, EvilHamsterMastermind, and Capt. Incredible for reviewing last chapter! 

Ps-(I just finished _Kingdom Come_. It was AMAZEING! It seriously made me want to write something ;)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here it is guys (I just _know_ you've all been waiting with baited breath!), read, relax, review!

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Only Human

Chapter 8

"Flash, you are in my way." The Scarlet Speedster almost dropped his newest snack at the sound of the rasping voice. He hadn't expected to hear that for a while yet, least of all while he was loitering around the corridors in between emergencies. That voice, though, could scare a rock.

"Bats! God, you could warn a person!" he squinted at the dark outline that managed to find the only shadows in the entire Tower. "I thought that you were stuck in the infirmary."

"The infirmary is for the infirm." growled the Bat as the swept past the stilled superhero.

"Well, yeah," retorted the Flash as he turned around, "but-" he was talking to an empty hallway. _'And _I'm _supposed to be the fastest man alive.'_ He thought sarcastically _'Maybe guano face _does_ have superpowers after all. He seems to be his own charming self again.'_ This thought was encouraged by no small bit of relief. If the Bat had been holding out on them then perhaps his inaction had not caused quite as much damage as originally believed. In any case, the other man's scathing tone did a lot to alleviate any excess guilt. Still something had struck him as off about the Bat. Maybe he'd talk to J'honn about it. Yea, that was a good idea, the Martian had watch duty about now and pestering him about the truth of the Bat's abilities would be something fun to do if nothing else. Maybe the green leaguer would beat Superman's standing record for the longest length of time it had taken any member to tell him to shut up.

1…1

One corner away from Flash the Batman was losing the battle to remain upright. Quietly he suppressed a growl at his own weakness. He detested weakness, especially in himself. In others it was something to be dealt with, exploited, confronted. In him, it was intolerable. In something as akin to desperation as he would allow himself to become he envisioned his pain compartmentalized, boxed away, under lock and key, then he shoved the entire affair deep into the dark reassess of his mind where fluttering shapes and blood stained pearls would keep it in good company.

Opening his eyes he found himself on the ground, supported on one side by the cold metal of the wall. He didn't think he had been there long. As he stood he noted absently that collapsing had not been the best idea as far as his injuries were concerned, but he quickly filed that observation away with the other things he did not feel it important to acknowledge at that time. The hanger was that way, just a few turns passed this sections cafeteria, which would no doubt need to be restocked seeing as the Flash had come from this direction. That kid _really_ annoyed him sometimes.

1…1

"Hey J'onn! J'hooonn? You in here?" called the Flash as he entered the immense hub, control, and monitoring station that was essentially the heart of the Watchtower. "Come on, I just wanna talk!"

"Have you not a city to care for?" came the resigned voice of the long suffering J'onn J'onzz. He already knew that nothing would stop the Flash when he wished to 'chat'. Well, nothing short of the Batman's stern presence. Obviously that was not going to save the Martian this night.

"Well, yea, but I already ran a few laps around it and figured I'd hitch a ride up here for a bit. Besides," he shifted, as uncomfortable as the Martian had ever seen him, "I wanted to see how Bats was doing. I'm glad he's up and grumpy and stuff you know? But now I'm thinking that you and Sups have been holding out on us. I mean the guy practically got blown up and then was buried by debris and now he's walking' around! Exactly what kind of powers-" but the Martian was no longer listening, he was staring at the scrolling readouts coming directly from the infirmary. According to this, the Batman was still asleep. But the Flash implied, had said…

"Flash, are you saying you have seen the Batman out of the infirmary today?" J'onn interrupted rather abruptly.

"Um, yea. I was kind of surprised actually, even asked him about it, but you know Bats he just said," here the speedster effected a mockingly deep voice "'infirmaries are for the infirm' then he just walked off. Kinda curt, but then I try not to take that too personal any more." Once again the Martian had stopped listening; he was carefully reviewing some of his data. Yes, there it was- a slight variation that happened again, and again. And again. As if in a loop. Of course.

"Where did you encounter the Batman? This is very important."

"Down by the cafeteria, I kinda assumed he was hungry, you know what they say about hospital food…"

"Flash. You stay here and monitor, I am needed elsewhere." The hanger was on the same level.

'_Darn,'_ thought Flash inanely as he watched the Martian depart and wondered just where he was going. _'Another couple of minutes ad he would have had Sups' record in the dust.'_

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A/N: Woot! I could defiantly get used to writing Flash, he's so…fun! Anyway, please drop a line guys!

Special thanks to Saibachick, thevigilante15, Capt. Incredible, and Valandil for reviewing last chapter- it means _a lot_ guys. Next chapter coming soon!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Yeah! Fifty reviews for only nine chapters, you guys make me feel so loved (well, appreciated anyway ;)! Yes… well, enjoy, okay?

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Only Human

Chapter 9

He really should have expected this. No. That was not strictly correct, both he and Superman _had_ expected something like this. It just seems they hadn't taken enough precautions. J'onn supposed that he was too used to working with the _other_ heroes, for when _they_ said something they tended to follow it to the letter. Not so with the Dark Knight. He seemed to do as he said he would for only as long as he saw fit to. He _had _stayed in the infirmary-until J'onn had left it. The Martian had expected that the Batman would try to escape, most likely to return to his city; if all of what Superman said and J'onn sensed was true. He was a very stubborn individual-to put it mildly-but only human. And he was not in the best physical condition. The Martian was confident that he could persuade the man to see reason.

1…1

Finally, finally he had made it to the hanger bay. It had taken him so very much longer than usual. What had possessed him to build this place so big and so open? He was finding the lack of shadows extremely disconcerting. _'I _must_ keep it together,'_ the Dark Knight thought desperately as he approached the Javelin. He recognized his wandering thoughts as a warning sign.

His defenses were weakening.

He needed to get home.

To Gotham.

Suddenly the Batman tensed. He may not be at the top of his form, but he could still tell when someone tried to approach him undetected.

"Batman," replied J'onn J'onzz to the cowled man's accusing stare. He drifted down trough the ceiling and landed squarely between the vehicle and the room's occupant, "This is not wise."

"What is not wise," he ground out, subconsciously searching for the concealing shadows, "is to stand in my way."

"I do not believe you have thought this through clearly," continued the Martian as though the Batman had not spoken. The Batman was not used to being ignored. He did not like it. He had a problem, yes, and he acknowledged that. But he would take care of his… condition if every one would stop getting in his way. Everyone… that reminded him. Clark. Since J'onn had apparently discovered his ruse, there was no evidence to say that Superman hadn't already been informed of his…a-hem…escape attempt, and in his condition it would be best if Clark never caught up to him. He needed to expedite matters.

"Let me pass, J'onn."

"I will not."

"I- I ask you. Let me pass."

"I cannot, and I will not."

"Very well." Suddenly the Martian was awash in pain, the feeling surrounded him, assaulted him, and completely overran what minuscule defenses he was able to raise in his sudden surprise and horror. As the alien slumped to the ground he could barely perceive a dark cape swish overhead before he was forced to turn all attention inward...

1…1

The Batman felt only the slightest trace of guilt as he tunneled all the repressed pain that he had been holding back and focused a psychic blast of it at the Martian. By this time his full concentration was fixed firmly on his city: what might happen to it and to him in an extended absence from it. The reflex of decades had kicked in: when one was injured one returned to the Cave. In Gotham. Return to Alfred's worried sarcasm and practiced administrations. In Gotham. At all costs. This ingrained reflex had severed him well in the past. When he was alone. When he was only human and adrift in a world full of deranged psychopaths, maniac supervillains, and meta-human foes. These precautions _had_ to be taken, and now it seemed that they had taken over.

1…1

The Javelin set down with something rather short of its usual grace, but nothing jarring enough to cause any permanent damage. There was a long period of stillness before the ramp lowered and the Javelin's occupant descended. Immediately the Batman felt the comfort that all humans feel when they finally return home a dark, dank, and infested as it may be. This was his city. Here he held the advantage and would ambush any and all comers from the shelter of the twisting streets and multitudes of enshrouding shadows. He automatically secured the ship before calling the bat-mobile. The auto-pilot would get him home with a minimal amount of guidance and after forcing his mind clear to safely land the Javelin, minimal was all he could give. Gratefully he slid into the car's padded seat, but continued the struggle to keep himself conscious until the familiar, vaulted ceiling of the cave was passing overhead. Alfred would find him eventually. Or he'd drag himself up the stair to the manor. At the moment he didn't care because he was safe. He had truly come home.

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A/N: Aww, who knew Bats had a soft side? I hoped you enjoyed it, please feel free to review if you did (or didn't for that matter).

Many thanks to Saibachick, Valandil, EvilHamsterMastermind, AniriRevan, RedSoxGirl5, and balletangel19 for reviewing last chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: oh, hitting the double digits, what an auspicious occasion! Anyway, some of you have been wondering about Alfred's reaction to Bruce's shenanigans; well wait no longer my friends! Read on!

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Only Human

Chapter 10

"Master Bruce? Master Bruce!" Alfred's worried cries broke through the comforting blackness that had enveloped him. With an effort Bruce managed to open the top of the bat-mobile and drag himself upright. He dug deep into his last reserves in an attempt to reassure the older man.

"I'm here, Alfred," he said as the butler approached.

"Mister Clark Kent called several days ago, sir. He said that there had been an accident, and that you would not be returning so soon."

"Clark over reacts." He bit out automatically, then softened, "I'll be fine, Alfred. It's just good to be back."

"Indeed, Sir. But I'm afraid that I must insist that you take the next few nights off." Silently the butler braced himself for the inevitable stony protests from the dark knight. When none came that he began to be truly worried. "Humph, very good," he said to cover up his startlement at the telling lack of reaction. "Well, come along, we might as well have some tea. And I give you a check up. Not that I don't trust all of the technology on that floating station of yours." Bruce managed a strained smirk in spite of himself. Alfred had no problems with the League, in fact he encouraged the Batman to assist the other heroes in their exploits, but he had been… skeptical when Bruce proposed the idea of an orbiting watchtower.

As the two headed towards the cave's med lab Alfred casually placed a steadying hand on the Batman's arm. When, once again, the Bat was silent, the butler's worry intensified dramatically. His mounting concern was not quickly alleviated, for by the time they reached the specified portion of the underground system, Alfred was supporting much of the larger man's weight.

"Right sir, just sit here," said the butler as he carefully removed the cape, cowl, and top portion of the Batman's uniform. "Master Bruce…" he whispered in shock as he surveyed the extent of the damage. "What were you doing out of bed?" Bruce stared blankly at the Butler as if, now that his task had been fulfilled, he was having difficulty processing the question. Exhaustion and confusion wound around his unmasked face as he attempted to frame an answer.

"Gotham…Clark… they didn't want me to…get away… had to … home…" was all the Butler managed to understand, but that was more than enough for him. Gently he helped his employer and surrogate son to lie back on the lab's main examination table. He would just repair any damage the wayward billionaire had done to himself in this 'escape attempt' then get some food for when he awoke. Sometimes Alfred wished that Bruce would just see the need to sit down _rest_ and realize that he _was_ only human. Not that the long suffering butler had any hope of that actually coming to pass. He could dream though.

1…1

For the first time in a long time Bruce awoke feeling safe and refreshed. Not free of pain, that would be far too much to hope for, but even that had lessened drastically. The damp air and faint far off flutter of wings reassured him that he was in the cave, just as the soft, familiar rumble of indrawn breath told him that Alfred was beside him. Carefully he cracked open his eyes and gazed complacently at the rocky ceiling. For the moment he was content to just be… safe. As safe as he could be. A slight shifting to his right caused Bruce to turn his head and look at the older man as he emerged from the dark recesses of sleep. Not that sleeping could have been all that comfortable sitting in the rather severe chair that he had been dragged up beside the bed. Bruce would bet his cowl that he had been there all night.

"Oh, Master Bruce!" the older man exclaimed upon seeing open blue eyes in front of him, "Forgive me for dozing, Sir. I'm afraid I am not as young as I used to be."

"It's fine, Alfred."

"Yes, well I'm quite relieved," he said straightening his slightly less than immaculate clothing. "You, however, were not fine." He continued, his tone growing a distinctly reproving edge.

"Alfred, I-"

"Sir, you will kindly allow me to finish!" exclaimed the normally unshakeable British gentleman. "Mr. Kent informed me several days ago that there had been… an accident and that you would stay at that floating contraption of yours until you were stable. Sir, when you came down here, you were considerably less than stable. Just what did you think you were doing?"

"I- Alfred, I- how… I don't." he stopped, brow furrowed at his own uncharacteristic confusion. He remembered he had called everyone to the site where he believed-where he knew-the next bomb would be. He had found it, but had not been able to disarm it. He had failed. But there had been enough time to get out, he was sure there had been. Apparently he had been wrong about that too.

His next few memories were sporadic and clouded with pain. This was totally out of character for him; he could not understand it… Clark had been there at… the Tower's infirmary, Bruce grimaced at the memories the room conjured. He hated that place. To him, it symbolized failure. Public failure. The Batman was not supposed to fail. Shaking himself free of his unwanted feelings he concentrated on the last few days.

He had talked to Clark, they had argued. Clark had left, then Bruce had left, abet much more stealthily. They… hadn't wanted him to leave… but he'd had to. The further along he had gone, the dimmer his memory became, too much energy expended fighting back the dizziness and nausea to keep his usually pinpoint memory going. There had been a brief feeling of annoyance that came only when dealing with the Flash… then a blank. Somehow he found himself in the hanger with the feeling that someone was watching him. He vaguely remembered speaking to someone. Then he was in Gotham. The Billionaire stared at Alfred, slight bewilderment breaking through his stoic features.

"I just had to get back Alfred. I knew…" he trailed off before finishing in an almost silent whisper, "I knew that you would take care of me."

Alfred did not quite catch what the master had said, but he had known Bruce long enough and well enough to guess. His demeanor softened, his s- his charge had been injured and needed rest and caring. He could always berate the younger man later if need be.

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A/N: Aw, how can one not love Alfred? He's _so_ awesome. And Bruce- he better watch himself or he'll get positively _mushy_! (by Bat-standards anyway ;) Please leave a note if you liked(or disliked) the chapter!

Special thanks to Valandil, Saibachick, RedSoxGirl5, thevigilante15, and Batzi for reviewing last chapter. (also a general apology to those who reviewed the last few chapters; I know it's taken a while but I _have_ sent out replies (to those who left addresses) sorry it took so long!)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys, sorry it took so long. Still, here it is; I'm sure you've all been waiting anxiously ;) -Read and relax guy!

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Only Human

Chapter 11

The Javelin's unscheduled departure set off several alarms in the Tower's monitoring station. Flash, who found the entire 'watch and wait' thing extremely boring, drifted into a very pleasant if impossible fantasy of zipping down to a beach in California and zipping back before anyone noticed his absence. The screaming alarm rudely yanked him out of this latest daydream and sent him frantically scrambling to locate the source of the call.

"J'onn?" called the Flash both mentally and physically, half hoping that the Martian would appear and save the speedster from the suddenly daunting number of controls on the panel in front of him. After several seconds with no sign of his erstwhile green-skinned savior Flash was finally able to locate the button that was blinking more or less in time with the annoying sound. He sighed when the noise stopped only to stiffen immediately as he absorbed what the information appearing on the central screen. J'onn was lying limp and unmoving in the middle of a hanger that normally held the Javelin Seven. Flash immediately flipped the emergency call signal that would notify all Justice League members to assemble as soon as superhumanly possible. He was halfway to the hanger and his downed comrade before the advanced systems of the Tower even registered the summons.

1…1

It didn't take Superman long to gather the basics of what happened. He took one look at the place where the departed Javelin should have rested, carefully picked up the unconscious Martian, and flew straight to the infirmary, Flash trailing behind. Bruce was not there.

Thankfully, for all involved, J'onn fought his way to consciousness before the Man of Steel decided to take a page from Batman's book and fly off to forcibly demand an explanation from Bruce.

"I do not think that his intent was to harm me, just force me to stand aside. The attack was unfocused, instinctual, and sloppy in execution. Not at all the Batman's preferred style," explained the Martian calmly. Clark had to agree with him. Everything Bruce did was carefully measured and he never expended more effort than was needed. "In fact, if it had been another telepath, I would have put the incident down to shock or total exhaustion, the overflow of raw emotions were very similar. I would not normally have been so affected. But I had somewhat lowered my defenses to try and read him better; never would I have expected such a strong reaction from a normal human. Even so, I sustained no permanent damage."

1…1

Clark was completely unsurprised to locate the missing Javelin parked on the outskirts of Gotham city. He rescinded the emergency call before the rest of the JL showed up prepared for an invasion, though he did request the Green Lantern to bring the Javelin back to the station at his first convenience. There was no rush as far as Clark could see…and Bruce had made it painfully clear that he would fight against any and all help offered. Superman knew that there was nothing more they could do until Bruce decide to rejoin them. Nothing, except…

Deep in the dripping confines of the BatCave- a telephone rang. Alfred glanced sharply in the direction of the incongruous sound. The 'Bat extension' to the manor was known by very few, and in the master's business 'few' meant no more than could be counted on one hand. He desperately hoped that it was not young master Dick calling to say that Nightwing had gotten tangled up in something he could not get out of on his own. Bruce was in no shape to help him and Alfred could do without the aggravation of explaining that to the Master. He gingerly lifted the hand set.

"Hello? Clark Kent calling for Alfred Pennyworth?" Alfred exhaled slightly, the League. He'd almost forgotten about them, a rather large failing for an accomplished butler such as himself. Still, it _had_ been a _rather_ trying day.

"Mr. Kent," replied the relieved Butler, "how good to hear from you again."

"Alfred, listen Bruce… escaped from the infirmary and seems to have made it to Gotham. Has he-"

"Yes sir. He's here, resting," Alfred interrupted kindly. Now it was the Kryptonian's turn to be relived.

"Thank heavens. I figured he would have enough plans to make it back, but I wanted to be sure… You know Alfred, as brilliant as Bruce is; sometime he's not very smart."

"As you say sir." The butler's small smile could easily be heard through the phone lines "is there any other way I might be of assistance?"

"Just have him contact me when he's up to it, okay? And… take care of him."

"Always sir." The connection clicked closed.

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A/N: So that's what's been happening up at the Tower, in case you were wondering. Drop a note, comment, critique, (review), or just say hi- anything is appreciated!

On that note, special thanks to Manuel, Lynn, RedSoxGirl5, ljkingoh, monstez, Saibachick, thevigilante15, Batzlv, and Valandil for reviewing last chapter- I think that was the most reviews on any chapter so far, Thanks guys!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Okay guys, just a few more chapters and it will all be over (tear) you've been great, seriously. Anyway, hope you like the chapter- things actually get rolling! Read, Relax, Review, Enjoy!

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Only Human

Chapter 12

Bruce growled softly in frustration. It had been almost a week and a half since he had returned to Gotham and, in the dark knight's opinion, the first eight days spent drifting in and out of consciousness while concentrating on amplifying and aiding his body's natural healing abilities should have been more than enough to get him back on his feet. Alfred had disagreed. Still, the Butler had conceded him the use of a computer, providing he remained in bed. Alfred may be one of the few people on the planet that could make the Batman do something he did not want to do, but even he knew not to press his luck.

Bruce stifled a few choice words and resisted an almost overwhelming urge to put his fist through the screen. The relatively small database and computing power of the laptop simply could not meet his needs. It moved incredibly slowly and the cursed machine kept freezing up whenever he asked it to run more than ten programs. This would not do. Not if he was going to end this bomb threat once and for all. He would not fail again. Alfred was just going to have to understand that.

He eased himself out of bed, grabbing a blanket from its foot, and made his slow way to the super computer that occupied the large dais in the center of the cave. Bruce sat gratefully in the chair's cushioning, supporting structure and actually _sighed_. The chair was one of his rare indulgements. He designed and built it to fit his person exactly and to give him the utmost comfort and support during his long hours positioned before the cave's glowing screens. After all, the last thing the Dark Knight needed was to develop back pains from uncomfortable chairs. Or, at least, that was how he rationalized it. How ever one chose to look at it, his 'indulgence' could not help but aid his present condition, and his condition needed all the aid it could obtain.

1…1

"Well, sir, I do hope you are hungry because I have just made the most-" the normally collected British butler almost dropped his tray when he saw the empty med lab.

"Over here Alfred," growled Bruce from the main cavern. Alfred slid carefully around the corner, unsure what to expect. From the master's tone he was either in great pain or extremely annoyed.

"Bruce?" asked Alfred fearfully when he saw the dark figure hunched over the key board. "What in haven's name do you think you're doing?" there was an ominous pause. "Bruce…are you alright?"

"I can't do it Alfred…" mumbled Bruce with his head cradled in his hands. "I've failed; he's going to get away."

"Master Bruce, I'm sure that everything will resolve itself," he said carefully, fearing that the master had perhaps re-injured himself "I think that, perhaps, it would be best if you returned to the med lab." He put a guiding hand on the younger man's shoulder, only to have it violently shrugged off. Or as violently as Bruce could muster.

"Alfred," he growled "I am _not_ an invalid, nor am I delusional. There just isn't enough evidence, we were so close!" He pounded his fist on the console. "He left just enough clues that we would _know_ it was him but be helpless to do anything about it." Alfred took a moment to look over all the active screens; suddenly he completely understood the master's feelings.

"Oh, _him_. Sir, I am sorry, and after all the sorrow he has brought on the world."

"And will continue to bring," agreed Bruce dejectedly. There was a lengthy silence, suddenly Bruce's head shot up and began working the keyboard furiously.

"Sir?"

"Not now Alfred." Alfred recognized the tone and knew to take no offense.

"What shall I do with your meal?"

"Just put it over there," he said distractedly. Alfred sighed knowing that, while at least some of the specially prepared meal would be eaten, it would certainly not be savored. Ah, the curse of the butler.

1…1

"Master Bruce?" inquired Alfred mildly as he approached to collect the used tray.

"I've put the plan together," announced Bruce in a tone that bordered dangerously on happy. "All of it. I need to contact the Justice League."

"Well, I'm very happy for you I'm sure," said Alfred placing the tray back down on the console and looking not the least bit exited, "but you cannot possibly be contemplating another excursion so soon. Sir, you barely-"

"Alfred!" interrupted Bruce sternly; he did not need to be reminded of his past mistakes. "This is important." He paused, taking notice of the worry and concern written into the older man's face "Besides I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to test the new suit." Alfred knew Bruce well enough to recognize this as the apology it was intended to be. And he understood the compromise Bruce was offering.

The suit in question was something Alfred had insisted on designing and building despite Bruce's protests. Not only did it employ a homing signal that Alfred could pick up even on the Watchtower, but it also contained a full array of bio sensors so that he could monitor the Batman's health at all times. In an attempt to make the suit more palatable to an extremely skeptical Batman, Alfred had even built in strategic supports and gadgetry that would increase the wearer's strength and take a great deal of strain off his all too human shoulders. The project had not been a resounding success. Master Bruce hated the thought of being 'checked up on' and insisted that he could look out for himself. Even the strength enhancements did little to endear it to the young master, as he said that it would be far too easy to rely on the suit as opposed to his own crime fighting prowess. The suit had never even been out of the cave. Until tonight, it would seem.

Alfred helped Bruce into the last pieces of the new suit. He was confident that the slight extra bulk would be hidden by the Dark Knight's cloak. The suit would do its job, of this he was sure. And it was the only reason he was allowing this to happen, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

"Sir, are you absolutely certain that I can't talk you out of this?"

"Alfred…"

"Quite, sir. Still, in light of your still dubious state of health, minght it be too much to ask that the Batman remain in the shadows, as it were?"

"I'll do my best," replied Bruce, which was the best the butler could hope for. Bruce slid on the cowl, attached the cape, and headed toward the Bat-Wing, leaving Alfred alone in the fluctuating glow of the computer screens. The butler sank into the seat and stared at the medical readouts that would accompany him on this night's vigil. Some nights he actually felt he was the age his old bones tried to tell him he was.

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A/N: Bum, bum, bum. Who it the bad guy? Will he **actually** be caught? Well _I'm_ not going to tell you! (not yet anyway) So, review, come on, tell me what you think! Have mercy on a story that is winding down!

Speaking of reviews, an increadably greatful shout out to those who showed their continued support by reviewing last chapter: Saibachick, Valandil, Lynn, EvilHamsterMastermind, and RedSoxGirl5


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sooo, who wants to know the name of the villain of this piece? Everyone? Good! Read on, my friends!

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Only Human

Chapter 13

Superman greeted the Batman as he exited the hanger bay. They refrained from exchanging pleasantries as they made their silent way to the control room, Clark didn't even mention the suit, which his searching vision saw and deduced the purpose of. He guessed, correctly, that Bruce would not wish to discuses it.

The Leaguers' reactions to the reemergence of the wayward Bat were mixed, though relief was high on everyone's list. The Batman himself was all business, as if to deny that anything else had ever been. The others just followed Superman's lead, he knew the Batman the best and no one really wanted to find out what an abnormally prickly bat was like. In any case the Batman quickly dove into his report, one that he was confident would distract the group from any overt displays of emotion they might be tempted to express. His confidence was not misplaced.

"Luthor?!?! Luthor is behind all these attacks?" exclaimed the normally placid Man of Steel.

"And why?" added Diana "What would he have to gain by this random destruction?"

"Insurance? Sabotage? Revenge?" offered the Green Lantern.

"Undoubtedly all those things, but mainly to study us," responded the Dark Knight flatly.

"Us? What about us?" asked Flash around a mouth full of burger, "He has to know what we all can do by now, it's not like we keep it a secret. Or, well, most of us," he added eyeing Bats.

"Not us individually," explained Batman, ignoring Flash's comment, "but as a group. How the League works together. Our strategies when faced with a problem."

"Hmp, well I think it's about time someone taught that guy a lesson!" said Hawkgirl pointedly thumping her mace into her hand.

"No, Hawkgirl," interrupted Superman. "As much as I mighnt wish it otherwise, Luthor is _not_ like other criminals. He's … respectable. At least, to most people. He's also as rich and slippery as they come, unless we have something rock solid to pin on him we can't touch him." All eyes unconsciously turned to the dark figure at the head of the table. Unfortunately his face gave away nothing.

"We don't have enough evidence." The disappointment in the room was palatable but he continued undaunted, "All of the evidence is circumstantial, the charges could be thrown out with a decent lawyer and Luthor has an army of the best. He expected us to figure it out eventually so he made sure that we could not pin it on him. It's all part of his game."

"Well I'm tired of playing it!" snapped Green Lantern, tired of all the politics.

"I am afraid," J'onn spoke up unexpectedly, "that we have no choice. If we chose not to participate, then more will die. That is not an acceptable alternative."

"So what exactly _can_ we do?" questioned the Flash in frustration.

"Wait for him to make a mistake."

"Batman, this is Luthor- he doesn't make mistakes," Superman stated with a glum finality.

"He will." contradicted the Batman firmly, "_If_ we give him something he wants. Something he wants more than anything." There was a moment of contemplative silence, then all eyes slid toward the Man of Steel.

"What?" asked Superman defensively.

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A/N: So, what is Batman's plan? Does he have one? (yea, like _that's_ a hard question to answer.) Will Luthor get away with all he's done? Find out in the next (and last) chapter. But before you do, send a review! Please?

Many thanks to the reviewers of last chapter RedSoxGirl5, Lynn, Valandil, Saibachick, and Awen1923! You guys are great!- Till next time, Delia Ra'Nar


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: here it is guys, the Last Chapter. I almost didn't want to post it because then the story is finished. Anyway, I hope it lives up to any expectations you may hold. Read, Review, Enjoy guys!

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Only Human

Chapter 14

Luthor grinned sadistically at Superman as the alien writhed in agony. He had been looking forward to this moment for years. What would he _not_ have given to have the smug Kryptonian helpless at his feet? In an ironic twist of fate it turned out he didn't have to give up anything. After all the traps, all the tests, all the money wasted on plots, the Super-freak burst right into his office. Alone.

He almost laughed aloud. The money he spent obtaining a piece of Kryptonite paled in comparison to the pleasure he derived from watching his enemy's face contort in agony. And the best part was, he could kill the annoying boy scout of Metropolis with little to no repercussions. Half of the city had to have seen the fool crash through his wall. Superman had lost control once before, it would be easy to claim self defense. A particularly piercing gasp drew his attention back to his prisoner. Yes. This was very pleasant.

And yet… Luthor found himself almost-disappointed. With Superman gone where would the _challenge_ be? Naturally there would be the other 'super heroes' but it just would not be the same. Deciding suddenly that he had observed long enough Luthor broke the silence, disappointment dripping from his tone.

"So this is how it ends? You know- I've carried this around for years waiting for _just_ the right moment?" He took an amused moment to study the chunk of kryptonite. "But now that it's here," the billionaire continued, "I almost feel a little…let down. Almost." He grinned cruelly as Superman moaned and pitifully tried to pull himself away from the crystals radiation. Luthor mocked his efforts by pinning the trailing edge of his cape under his three hundred dollar shoe.

"Any last requests?" he asked sardonically, not expecting an answer. He was most surprised and impressed in spit of himself when Superman was able to gather up the strength to form a faltering reply:

"Luthor," he gasped unsteadily, "I have to know… th-those weapons …you sold to th-the tero-ists… how…how-"

"How did I get them through customs?" interrupted Lex, growing tired of the alien's strained and halting speech. '_An amusing last request_' he thought, but then anything less would be a disappointment. "Oh, a gift here, a bribe there. When money talks, people listen. Like Staverose at the shipping company or Snider, the Interpol agent who looked the other way," expounded Lex smugly.

"Sounds like you're going to have company in prison." Lex stiffened and spun away from the window he had wandered to during the course of his spiel. That voice! It was… firm, controlled, and held no hint of pain. He gasped; Superman was standing in the middle of the office looking for all the world that the sickly green glow of radiation did not exist. Quickly Luthor moved the rock, waving it right in the Kryptonian's face. Superman just crossed his arms.

"It can't be," said Luthor in denial, "the kryptonite-"

"Won't protect you any longer," interrupted Superman, but it no longer sounded like Superman. Luther watched, aghast, as the Kryptonian's features melted and reformed into those of the Martian, one J'onn J'onzz of the Justice League.

"No!" he groaned. He had been so close! Suddenly a shadow detached itself from the door way.

"You're usually more careful, Lex," it rasped. "You slipped up." And though his voice was as flat as ever, the Batman was grinning on the inside. Luther's confession had been recorded and files of that recording were already being sent to the Batcave and the Watchtower. Luthor wouldn't talk his way out of this one. The Dark Detective's plan was about to lay low Lex Luthor. Under the circumstances he decided he could allow himself to feel a small measure of satisfaction.

1...1

Superman, the real Superman, watched from a safe distance as the Green Lantern sent the deadly crystal flying out of Luthor's grasp and nodded silently when Batman plucked it out of the air with little effort. After all these years, it was Bruce's plan that was _finally_ going to topple Lex Luthor. It was… unbelievable.

He had been wrong before, Superman decided, they had all been wrong. The Batman was not, nor would he ever be, _Only_ Human.

The End

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A/N: and so it is. I hope you guys don't mind me snagging the beginning of _Injustice For All_ it seemed like a fun way to end the story (after it was jazzed up a bit, naturally ;) Tell me what you think, okay? Last chapter guys, spare a review for a poor writer? I know you want too!

Speaking of Reviews a**_ huge_** thanks to all those who left one on _any_ chapter. With 89 reviews (as of right now) it has broken my old record by ten! You've made me so happy!

Anyway, even more thanks heaped on the heads of those who reviewed last chapter: Lynn, Capt. Incredible, LadyKatana45, Saibachick, AniriRevan, Valandil, Batzlv, balletangel19, thevigilante15, and RedSoxGirl5.


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